The start of the fall semester reveals what some choose to bury and what others wilfully ease into: transition. College students undergoing this transition range from all walks of life but share the desire for understanding in their respective transitions. To offer some solidarity for the new semester, The Daily Texan compiled a list of films that depict the multitude of emotions attached to embarking on a new phase. 

“American Graffiti”

Before becoming the mastermind behind the “Star Wars” franchise, George Lucas experimented with the array of sentiments tied to leaving one’s hometown in his 1973 film “American Graffiti.” Lucas’ cast delivers perfectly deliberate performances as teenagers secluded to their summer rendezvous with friends and lovers alike, and the unrelenting yet subdued thought of life after this pivotal summer. “American Graffiti” encapsulates what the summer before college means to people who seem so alike to each other, conveying the search for identity while maintaining the spark so often left behind in a lamented youth. 

“Monsters University”

The prequel to “Monsters, Inc.,” “Monsters University” follows the rivalry-turned-lifelong-friendship of Sully and Mike at university. By depicting contrasting personalities — Sully as a laid-back student and Mike as the try-hard — the film highlights the importance of taking one’s time to find one’s footing, while simultaneously coming to terms with inner conflicts often subdued under the guise of fear. As the two experiences meld together, the seemingly daunting nature of college reveals itself as a place where life-altering occurrences can blossom. 

“3 Idiots”

Minus the musical numbers, “3 Idiots” accurately depicts the struggle of maintaining one’s sanity in the competitive and fast-paced college atmosphere. The film centers around engineering student Rancho (Aamir Khan), and the battle between his intellectual strides and his desire to live life to its fullest. Director Rajkumar Hirani acknowledges the depth of youthful passion and how it can be applied to the overwhelming world of higher education. When the pressures and impossible expectations of these four years can become overwhelming, the film encourages a self-prioritizing approach -– one often forgotten in the whirlwind of it all. 

“Lady Bird”

Greta Gerwig’s 2017 directorial debut draws out the details of living day to day life as someone undergoing the transition from high school to college when Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) declares an East Coast college as her grand escape from her suffocating town. “Lady Bird” prides itself on subtle honesty, grounding itself in its cultivation of community and its emphasis on memory. Through hilarious yet intimate performances, Gerwig’s depiction of pre-collegiate life brings attention to the strong attachment high school seniors have to their fleeting youth and the external factors that make departing for college all the more complicated.